1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a write-once disc, and, more particularly, to a method of recording, and an apparatus to record, data on a write-once disc so as to access more quickly information required to use the write-once disc, and a write-once disc used with the above method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
New information can be repeatedly recorded on a rewritable disc on which information has already been recorded. However, when new information is recorded on a write-once disc, since information that has already been recorded can be neither erased nor repeatedly recorded at a location where the information was already recorded, a new location must be allocated in order to update the information already recorded.
Generally, only information which has been finally updated is meaningful. Therefore, to read the information which has been finally updated, an update area is allocated to a data area, and a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus detects the information which has been finally updated by searching for the update area in which updated information is recorded. When a large amount of information is recorded in the update area, it takes an excessive amount of time to detect desired information.
On a write-once disc for which defect management by a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus is performed, areas exist in which to record information for managing defects generated while the write-once disc is being used, and information indicating a recording status of the write-once disc. Unlike a rewritable disc, according to a characteristic of the write-once disc, since updated information cannot be repeatedly recorded at a location where existing information has been recorded when an update of the defect management information is required, the updated information must be recorded at an empty location. Accordingly, a relatively large update area is necessary. In general, the update area is allocated to a lead-in area or a lead-out area. However, sometimes, the update area may be allocated to a data area in order to increase an update count according to a user's designation.
When finally updated information required to use the write-once disc is recorded in the update area allocated to the data area, and when information indicating that the update area is allocated to the data area and information indicating a location of the update area are included in the finally updated information, the finally updated information or a location in which the finally updated information is recorded cannot be detected, even if the entire update area allocated to the lead-in area or the lead-out area is searched.
Even if a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus detects that the finally updated information is recorded in the update area allocated to the data area, if the size of the update area is large, it may take an excessive amount of time to search the finally updated information recorded in the update area.